I briefly interrupt my classroom’s blogging project to share my support for the National Writing Project.  Heck, this whole blogging project wouldn’t exist if it wouldn’t have been for my participation in something called a digital writing marathon about six years ago.  Through this opportunity, sponsored by Dakota Writing Project (DWP), I learned what a blog actually is.  I also learned about digital storytelling, a wiki, podcasting, social networks, and what quality professional development should be.  The timing couldn’t have been more perfect as my middle school had just become a 1:1 school.  The training my school provided just didn’t compare to what Dakota Writing Project offered to me and to the other writing project teachers who participated.  More importantly, what I learned has dramatically impacted my students.  Today, they are successfully using 21st Century skills and tools; they are writing, reading, problem-solving, creating, and communicating in ways I never dreamed were possible way back in 1998 when I first attended an Invitational Summer Institute.   Ask my students about their blogs.  Ask them why they chosen the topics they have.  Ask them about the collaboration we’re embarking on with a teacher and his students in Ohio.   Ask them if they’re engaged and excited.  Ask them if they’re learning.  

The digital writing marathon experience has now become a professional development opportunity for more than just writing project teachers.  Last summer four teacher-consultants and our director created, planned, and conducted our first “public” digital writing marathon course for teachers, modeled after the marathon I experienced several summers ago.  Plans are well underway for our second digital writing marathon, which will begin July 2011.   This endeavor has allowed me and others to experience once again the NWP “teachers teaching teachers” philosophy.  We are writing, reading, problem-solving, creating, and communicating.  Ask us about our passion for eudcation and NWP.  Ask us about the collaboration and networking NWP has fostered.  Ask us if we’re engaged and excited.  Ask us if we’re learning.

What else does one say?  NWP teachers will persevere, and their students will benefit.  But we also will continue to make our voices heard.